Empty Closets and Full Hearts Older son got married a month ago and we moved him and his wife to Denver last weekend. He cleaned out his closet one last time, and it’s REALLY EMPTY! There’s something so final about that. When it was half full of ASU shirts and high...

No Regrets Parenthood Older son is getting married in three weeks. I’m feeling increasingly sentimental as the date approaches, flashing through childhood memories preserved in photos, astounded at how 22 years can have passed so very quickly. So when he sent me song...

Big Picture Parenting In the “For Better or For Worse” comic strip last week, the little boy was complaining about having to do chores. “I’m a kid, man! Kids are supposed to have fun! Why can’t you wait till I’m grown up? Then I’ll work!” His dad replied, “Because by...

Extracurricular Grit I auditioned for the Kansas City Youth Symphony in 9th grade because my junior high orchestra had nine kids in it and I wanted a more sophisticated musical experience. Unfortunately, I wanted to be a really good cellist but I didn’t want to...

Let’s Get Gritty! Are you gritty? Are your kids? I’m not talking about having gravel in your shoes from hiking in the desert! “Grit” is the term Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania psychologist and researcher, uses to describe a high level of persistence....

Creating Specialness for Each Child According to the U.S. Census, approximately 5% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 have a disability. The nature and severity of the disability varies, but for many parents, caring for a “special” child can consume considerably...

I asked several parents of teens what might be a helpful topic for me to address and the overwhelming response was, how to handle disrespectful behavior. Teenagers can have sharp tongues and many parents are at a loss for how to stop the unkindness. While it may feel...

Self-Care: the Oxygen Mask for Parents! If you’ve ever been on an airplane, you know what to do if oxygen levels drop. The little yellow masks will drop down, and you will be directed to put yours on before helping your children with theirs. Why? It’s hard to help...

Is Self-Discipline in Your Child’s Toolbox? If you open your child’s toolbox of life skills, will you find self-discipline? Raise your hand if you can even define that word. Don’t feel bad if you can’t. It’s one of those words we throw around but when someone asks for...

Okay, parents of teens! Picture yourself having one of those “tough discussions” with your child. (Okay, it’s really an argument.) You’re sternly insisting, “It needs to be THIS way!” Your teen is emphatically arguing, “No, it has to be THAT way!” You could shake your...